Scott Pruett drives the Ganassi Racing BMW Riley to win the pole position during qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The most special aspect of endurance racing really struck Michael Waltrip over breakfast.

There he was, an overgrown kid from Kentucky, sharing table space with a Dane and a Scotsman, 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, and getting ready to share racetrack space with them. Under what other circumstances would a two-time Daytona 500 winner compete alongside two of the best road racers of their generation?

The old IROC series would have been one shot, but that's been gone for nearly a decade. So that leaves a few 12- and 24-hour events such as Le Mans and Sebring and Daytona where the various circles of racing still occasionally overlap.

They're doing so this weekend in Florida for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Waltrip will share a GT-class Ferrari with NASCAR team co-owner Rob Kauffman, their driver Clint Bowyer and Rui Aguas, a Mozambique-born driver of Portuguese descent and the ace of their squad.

At some point, Waltrip may be passed by McNish in a faster Daytona Prototype. Or Bowyer, the 2012 Sprint Cup runner-up, by one of the three Indianapolis 500 winners in the field. Or Kauffman will find himself nose-to-tail with Scott Sharp, a road-racing champion who earlier in his career teamed with legendary actor Paul Newman.

" Brian Johnson from AC/DC was in the race (last year), and I got to hang out and talk to him," Waltrip said. "So it's more about the experience in my eyes, getting to learn and drive a different car and meet and compete against drivers from all over the world that you've always heard about.

"Last year down there, (five-time Rolex winner) Hurley Haywood made some laps. When I was a kid, he was one of my favorite racers. So, yes, it's unique and it's fun, and you actually sort of get used to it, and you're able to battle side beside with them. It's really rewarding to be able to match skills."

This year's field includes Formula One veterans such as Rubens Barrichello, Indy-car champions such Sebastien Bourdais, international stars such as McNish and American sports-car champions such as Scott Pruett.

"At one point you'll be around (NASCAR drivers Juan Pablo) Montoya and Jamie McMurray and Marcos Ambrose," said reigning IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter- Reay, who will team with Grand-Am regulars Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor in a Corvette Daytona Prototype. "Then in the middle of the night you'll be around the best in sports cars, Allan McNish and Anthony Davidson. At another point you'll be around the best in IndyCar.

"It's pretty unique hearing that on the radio because you think, 'Oh, this guy in front of me, I really respect him. I've got a lot of respect for what he's done in his career. And I want a crack at him right now.' "

But not every driver has the same pedigree. The nearly-60-car-field will be dotted with so-called gentleman drivers, the well-heeled sportsmen with the wherewithal to race if not necessarily the special talent to excel.

They'll also be in dissimilar cars. Pruett won the overall pole in the Daytona Prototype class Thursday with a lap of 1 minute 40.553 seconds around the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course, and the top GT car was more than 7 seconds slower. Closing speeds can be ridiculous, especially as fatigue - mechanical and human - sets in.

"Putting some guys in a Daytona Prototype doesn't mean he's necessarily well-versed in the tricks and turns of the Daytona track," Waltrip said. "But keep all of those things in mind.

"But what's most important, in my opinion, is to remember that you're there to take care of the car the best you can and make it for 24 hours and see if that gives you a shot to get a podium finish."

Waltrip and Kauffman accomplished that in the 24 Hours of Spa in 2011. So there Waltrip was, that goofy, excitable mostly retired NASCAR driver, in Belgium at one of the world's most renown tracks, spraying champagne on people he wouldn't otherwise have had the chance to meet.

Nothing good to say

In our conversation last week, Michael Andretti seemed to go out of his way on several occasions to avoid referring to fired IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard by name and was emphatic in clearing up a misconception dating to last May.

Bernard told the Journal Sentinel last year that he was backing away from a possible race at Road America in Elkhart Lake to give Andretti's first attempt at promoting IndyFest at the Milwaukee Mile its best opportunity to succeed.

"That's a big not-true that the guy put out," said Andretti, adding that he would gladly support a race at another of his favorite tracks.

IndyCar and Road America ultimately failed to put together a race for either 2012 or 2013 because of financial reasons. In short, Bernard wanted more for a sanction fee than the track was willing to spend.

Progress

Although promoter Steve Einhaus had hoped to have more details together by now, he said a few announcements regarding the Howie Lettow Memorial 150 at the Mile should be forthcoming shortly, including NASCAR driver commitments.

The two-day show will culminate with the ARCA Midwest Series race scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. July 9 and include other series earlier that day as well as a practice sessions and a concert the previous day. A dedicated website for the event - www.arcafest.com - is active, although at this point it has only a link to sign up for email notifications.

The obvious question regarding possible drivers is whether Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR champion from Cambridge, will race. There is interest among all parties, but nothing is done.

Staying put

Kyle Busch signed a contract extension to stay with Joe Gibbs Racing in Sprint Cup, the team announced Thursday. Busch also will return to Gibbs Nationwide Series cars after driving his own last year.

It's a job

Mauston native Kelly Bires, who has struggled to put together a solid NASCAR program after a hot start in 2007 and '08, will work as crew chief for Ross Kenseth, Matt's son. Bires hasn't given up on driving, though, he said Thursday.